Associate Director, Student Wellness Programs

The Associate Director Student Wellness Programs for the New York Medical College (NYMC) Office of Student Mental Health & Wellness (OSMHW) is a dynamic experienced and student-focused counseling professional who serves in a leadership role within a central student support unit serving more than 2000 students across NYMCs Schools of Medicine Dental Medicine Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and School of Health Sciences and Practice. Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Mental Health & Wellness the Associate Director (AD) supports the day-to-day operations and management of the OSMHW including staff supervision and departmental initiatives that promote student success and well-being. The OSMHW team is committed to fostering student success through comprehensive mental health and wellness services and creating a culture of health and well-being across the student community.

Under the direction of and in collaboration with the Associate Vice Chancellor of SMHW the Associate Director Student Wellness Programs will perform the following duties and responsibilities:

Administrative and Clinical

• Deliver short-term individual therapy; conduct needs-based assessments including triage and clinical consultation; coordinate treatment with other professionals; and provide referrals to community-based providers as appropriate.
• Supervise one or more direct reports including LCSWs and/or counseling or social work interns providing clinical supervision performance feedback mentorship and support for professional development.
• Assist the AVC in the administrative oversight of the offices counseling services and wellness programs.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all new referrals overseeing intake assessment and the timely assignment of cases to appropriate internal and/or community mental health providers.
• Provide clinical oversight of high-risk cases in accordance with clinical protocols institutional policies and best practices for student safety and continuity of care.
• Anticipate staffing needs and coordinate clinical coverage during vacations leaves and vacancies to ensure continuity of care and timely access to services consistent with student demand.
• Assess the utilization effectiveness and impact of campus mental health initiatives and wellness programs through quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods.
• Provide culturally responsive and affirming clinical services to students from diverse backgrounds and with intersecting identities.
• Maintain strict adherence to FERPA HIPAA ethical standards and confidentiality requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Mental Health & Wellness.
• Represent the Office of Student Mental Health & Wellness at interdisciplinary committees workgroups and meetings (approximately 6 to 8 per month).
• Collaborate effectively with Deans Health Services Academic Support and Disability Services student leadership and other campus partners to support student well-being and success.
• Participate in and deliver presentations at key student transition points including orientation and transition to clerkship and provide additional educational presentations as requested.
• Serve as a liaison and consultant to faculty staff administrators Deans and other members of the campus community regarding student mental health and wellness concerns.

Provision of Mental Health Services & Wellness Programming

• Deliver direct in-person student counseling/clinical services (virtual tele-visits where appropriate) that primarily includes: short-term individual counseling or group counseling; clinical triage crisis intervention and debriefing; clinical assessment case management and collaboration with other mental health/medical providers; consultation and referrals to services both internal and external.
• Maintain accurate timely and appropriate clinical documentation in the electronic health record in accordance with applicable legal ethical and institutional standards.
• Serve as the primary coordinator for the Wellness Ambassador Program including recruitment onboarding training retention program continuity and quality assurance efforts to support program effectiveness and student engagement.
• Work directly with Wellness Ambassador students to provide coaching mentorship support and guidance fostering leadership development student engagement and program effectiveness.
• Independently conceptualize develop implement and assess new wellness programs and initiatives in consultation with the Associate Vice Chancellor.
• Provide consultation to faculty staff and administrators regarding urgent or emerging student concerns including crisis assessment intervention triage and referral to emergency or higher levels of care as appropriate. Availability for after-hours weekend and holiday consultation may be required as needed.
• Be available to provide consultation and clinical triage for students experiencing urgent or emergent mental health concerns when needed including crisis assessment intervention and referral to emergency or higher levels of care as needed. Respond to student crises occurring after hours on weekends or during holidays when consultation or intervention is required.

Community Outreach and Education

• Assist with the development and provision of faculty/staff/student seminars workshops and training programs to help create a community culture of health and well-being communicate the mission/vision of the Office and normalize mental health challenges and wellness goals.
• Co-lead with the AVC the identification engagement and coordination of internal and external subjectmatter experts to deliver targeted highquality training sessions for department staff.
• Raise awareness of the importance of mental health within the campus community and promote the use of SMHW Counseling Services across the NYMC and TCDM community.

• Licensed Mental Health Professional doctoral (Ph.D. PsyD EdD) or Masters (LCSW-R)
• Minimum of ten (10) years of clinical experience post-licensure preferably in a health professions education or academic setting
• Knowledge of appropriately applying principals of FERPA and HIPAA to daily practice in an academic setting
• Licenses or Certifications
• New York State License
• Demonstrated compliance with continuing education requirements according to Licensure
• Seminar Training in Field Instruction (SIFI) Certification is preferred

Qualifications & Skills:

• Excellent interpersonal written and verbal communication skills; strong planning project management and organizational skills.
• Strong commitment to workplace honesty discretion integrity direct communication teamwork collaboration and professional ethics.
• Demonstrated ability expertise and clinical experience in:
• Conducting brief individual and group psychotherapy sessions
• Performing clinical intake interviews psycho-diagnostic assessment case conceptualization and treatment plan formulation
• Provision of crisis intervention and trauma-informed care
• Knowledge and experience managing a broad spectrum of psychological issues/diagnoses co- morbidities and high-risk clients
• Providing counseling to students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse identities including based on race gender sexual preference disability status religion socio-economic background age and others
• Appropriate and accurate use of an Electronic Health Record effectively for documenting provided mental health care and services
• A broad range of psychotherapy and counseling methods
• Developing and implementing outreach programs and presentations
• Providing clinical supervision to trainees and mental health professionals
• Physical demands: Full-time hours
• Environmental demands: Office-based work (in-person hybrid) may include travel to community partnerships

Relations with Others:

During your job with persons in other departments and outside the organization you are required to contact and/or work with them.

• Internal Contacts: NYMC Deans Student Affairs leadership and staff medical professionals faculty administrative staff and students campus-wide.
• External Contacts: Contracted service providers community clinicians professional agencies accreditors of programs (LCME Middles states etc.)